Sri Lanka, June 18 -- Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando said that Sri Lanka's daily foreign exchange outflow for vehicle imports has fallen to below USD 4 million following the introduction of a temporary surcharge on Customs Import Duties for vehicles.

Speaking on the impact of the measure, Fernando said that despite the surcharge, letters of credit (LCs) worth as much as USD 88 million were opened for vehicle imports on a single day. However, he said the policy has begun to reduce import-related foreign exchange expenditure.

According to the Deputy Minister, Sri Lanka spent an average of USD 5.5 million per day on vehicle imports last year. In 2026, the figure increased to around USD 7 million per day due...